A Texas woman may have plotted for months to steal the newborn daughter of her best friend — whose strangled body was found by cops at the suspect’s home this week, according to police and reports Friday.
Magen Rose Fieramusca, 33, had been pals with victim Heidi Broussard since they met at a church camp when they were 11 years old, Houston’s KHOU-TV reported, citing a third woman who knew them both.
Fieramusca even went so far as to pretend to be pregnant herself, and the two attended prenatal doctor appointments together, the outlet reported.
Fieramusca, described as a former wedding planner, then made sure she was present in the delivery room when when Broussard gave birth to baby Margot three weeks ago, People magazine reported, citing another pal.
Then, on Dec. 12, Broussard and her baby vanished.
Cops later found the mom’s body inside the trunk of a car at Fieramusca’s home near Houston _ and baby Margot was found inside the home, unharmed, according to multiple reports.
An autopsy has determined that the mom’s death was caused by “ligature strangulation,” officials said.
On Friday, Fieramusca was arrested and charged with kidnapping and tampering with a corpse, according to police and news reports.
“It is heartbreaking circumstances that bring us here today,” Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said at a press conference Friday.
“Everyone (was) hoping for an outcome different than the one that appears we had, and that is with the loss of life,” the chief said.
“And although we are grateful that it appears as though we have safely recovered baby Margot, again, we do believe that Miss Broussard lost her life in this incident.”
No charges were filed Friday in the killing of Broussard, though Manley said “there could be additional charges filed in the case.”
He said the arrest of Fieramusca took “a tremendous undertaking” by numerous law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and Texas Rangers.
Broussard and her baby were last seen together when she dropped off her 6-year-old son at his southwest Austin elementary school and returned home.
Her fiance, Shane Carey, came home to an empty house.
He told Fox 7 News at the time that he called police after making several disturbing observations — including that Broussard’s ID and Margot’s diaper bag were still in the apartment, and her car door was unlocked.
Fieramusca’s light-colored Nissan was traced to Austin around the same time that Broussard and the baby disappeared, according to the Austin American Statesman newspaper.
But Fieramusca was able to convince an official from the search-and-rescue group Texas EquuSearch right before her arrest that she had no involvement in the disappearance, KTRK-TV reported Friday.
“I can’t believe how sincere she sounded,” EquuSeartch’s Tim Miller said. “How in the world could this person sound so convincing? “
Fieramusca was being held at the Harris County Jail on $600,000 bond.
Manley said baby Margot is “currently safe, currently healthy.”
